Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 363: Episode

After recovering Akemus, Simon returned to Roc Island via a teleportation circle. He, Serne, and Kajan reported to Jane before he made his way through the Forbidden Forest and into Pier’s ruins.

"Everyone, come on out!" Simon declared, pulling the air apart with a forceful tug.

’Crrraack!’

As if on cue, Pier, Akemus, Erzebet, and Prince emerged from the extra-large subspace. The skeletons and corpse spiders that had accompanied them poured out as well, scattering into the depths of the ruins.

[We’re finally home!] Erzebet purred, stretching languidly.

Her gaze fell upon Simon, her eyes burning with a fierce desire that sent a chill down his spine.

[This humble servant prides herself on having made a truly great contribution on this mission.]

"Y-Yes, you did. You worked very hard."

[I am looking forward to my reward, you know?]

She flicked her tongue, and a shiver ran through Simon.

[No!]

A hand tugged at his sleeve. He turned to see Prince.

[I made a contribution, too! You have to play with me first! Oh, I invented a new handshake at the mansion! Here’s how it goes...!]

’Thuuud!’

Erzebet and Prince fell silent. Akemus had appeared and was now prostrated on the floor, his voice a mournful cry.

[Please forgive my disloyalty in joining the legion so late, Young Master!]

Simon gave an awkward smile and waved his hands.

"I-It’s fine, really! It couldn’t be helped!"

[Lord Richard’s son was born and has grown so much! And I, completely unaware, was wasting my time in obscurity!]

’It seems another troublesome undead has joined the ranks,’ Simon thought. Meanwhile, Pier, the closest thing to normal among the four, was cackling.

[Shut up and get ready to build the Skullwing forces, Akemus! You saw the might of the 5th Legion! The 7th Legion must become much, much stronger!]

Of course, calling Pier "normal" was a stretch. Finally, Simon stepped in.

"F-First, let’s get Akemus cleaned up."

Though Akemus was an Ancient Undead with regenerative abilities, some wounds remained. They began by pulling out the stakes and thorns embedded in his body. He must have been in excruciating pain, but Akemus endured it all with stoic silence.

[Be careful, boy!] Pier warned as Simon reached for a thorn in Akemus’s thigh. [That object is cursed.]

"Ah."

Pier took over, pulling the thorn out with his bare hands. He dropped it to the floor and crushed it underfoot. With a sharp ’pop!’, black smoke billowed out, forming a skull before dissipating.

[Curse stakes. Magnus is a real piece of work,] Erzebet commented, using a handkerchief to wipe the black blood from Akemus’s face.

Akemus gritted his teeth, silently bearing the pain. When his eyes met Simon’s, he was overcome with emotion once more.

[Young Master! This simply cannot be overlooked! After you punish my disloyalty...!]

[Will you cut it out?]

Erzebet snared the back of Akemus’s head with a web and yanked it back. Simon and Prince stifled a laugh. After all the thorns and stakes were removed and the caked blood was cleaned away, he looked much more presentable.

[Young Master, I will now prepare for the contract,] Akemus announced, clutching his chest and pulling it open.

The cavity split apart, revealing a black sphere flickering between his ribs—half black, half red. Upon seeing it, the other Ancient Undead let out deep sighs.

[You foolish friend,] Pier said, shaking his head.

The sudden shift in atmosphere left Simon blinking in confusion.

"What’s wrong?"

Pier closed his eyes.

[...So there was a reason Magnus was so hell-bent on torturing him.]

"Pardon?"

[Akemus has not yet been ’legionized’.]

Simon’s eyes widened. When he had first explained his plan to exchange one of Magnus’s undead for Akemus, he had assumed Akemus would have already been forcibly converted. Legionization was the process of binding an undead to a specific legion. He had figured the greedy Magnus would have done it immediately, and that Pier, as the manager, would have to spend a great deal of time and effort to reverse it.

[Akemus was holding out.]

Within Akemus’s core, his own Jet-Black was locked in a tense standoff with Magnus’s. He had been resisting legionization through sheer force of will.

[Honestly.]

Erzebet sighed, crossing her arms.

[Humans just don’t understand us, do they?]

Ancient Undead were an enigma, beings that even the most dedicated scholars had given up trying to explain. They each possessed a fundamental emotional deficiency, which they sought to resolve by contracting with a necromancer Legion Commander. For Erzebet, it was love. For Prince, it was amusement. And for Akemus, Simon guessed, it was loyalty.

It was only natural that the fiercely loyal Akemus would reject Magnus’s attempt to dominate him. ’Ah, but how am I supposed to satisfy his need for loyalty?’ While Simon pondered this, Pier finished examining the core.

[Boy! Akemus isn’t in the best condition, but for the sake of a speedy recovery, it would be best to legionize him now.]

"Right, I understand."

As Simon approached, Akemus knelt on one knee.

[I have waited for this moment throughout my captivity. It is a great honor.]

"It’s a pleasure to have you, Akemus."

With those words, Simon placed his hand on Akemus’s core and channeled his Jet-Black into it.

"Ugh!"

[Ghk!]

A whirlwind of Jet-Black instantly engulfed them both. Erzebet’s eyes widened.

[Pier, this!]

[Dammit...!]

Pier’s gaze turned feral.

[I knew he wouldn’t just hand over Akemus so easily!]

The moment Simon touched the core, the portion containing Magnus’s Jet-Black went berserk, erupting to push back against both Simon’s and Akemus’s power. The shock sent Simon’s mind reeling.

[Hold on, boy!] Pier shouted. [If you fall, Magnus will be able to control Akemus! No—in the worst-case scenario, the core will explode!]

If that happened, the resulting ’Ancient Undead’s Corpse Explosion’ would obliterate the entire ruin. Simon gritted his teeth and placed his other hand on the core as well.

[Y-Young Master!]

"Just hold on a little longer!"

Simon’s eyes blazed. Akemus had endured so much while waiting for him and his father’s legion. He absolutely could not give up on him now.

"Haaaaaaaaah!"

Simon’s dark blue Jet-Black surged forward, clashing violently with Magnus’s. Though Magnus wasn’t physically present, the two Legion Commanders were now locked in a battle over a single Ancient Undead.

[Krrruuugh!]

As the two opposing powers raged, Akemus, who had been so stoic before, clutched his core and cried out in agony. If this continued, it would detonate. ’All at once!’ The Jet-Black filling Simon’s body was drawn inward.

’I’ll drive it out!’

A dark blue radiance erupted from him, instantly overwhelming Akemus’s core. Gasps echoed through the ruin as Magnus’s repelled Jet-Black flared like a dying flame before vanishing into the air.

"Hah."

Simon’s legs gave out, and he collapsed. Erzebet and Prince caught him, supporting him from either side.

Akemus opened his eyes. He slowly clenched and unclenched his fists, then spread his wings.

The decaying wings, once so sparse that bone was visible, were now filled in with glossy, dark blue feathers of pure Jet-Black. Simon thought they were breathtakingly beautiful.

[I, Akemus!] he declared, kneeling respectfully before Simon.

He placed a fist on the ground and enfolded himself in his wings, a posture of deep reverence that radiated dignity.

[As one who is already dead and has been granted a new life, I pledge my eternal loyalty to you, Young Master!]

Simon received the pledge with a smile.

"Welcome to my legion."

The other Ancient Undead cheered in celebration. With that, Simon had safely welcomed a new Ancient Undead into his fold.

---

After inducting Akemus, they took a short break. Simon had intended to return to Kizen for a proper night’s sleep, but he was so drained he couldn’t move a muscle. He decided to spend the night in the ruins.

[Then it is now time for the reward!] Erzebet cooed, her eyes raking over Simon with a predatory gleam.

The familiar chill returned. She wrapped herself in spiderwebs, and her form began to shift. A black jacket, a red necktie, a fluttering skirt—the Kizen female student uniform. Her hair transformed into a voluminous pink. She had become ’Elizabeth Wefer,’ her student persona.

[Now then.]

She knelt on the floor and patted her thighs.

[Please come here.]

Simon scratched his cheek, embarrassed.

"...Y-You’re not going to do anything, right?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Erzebet let out a squeal, finding him unbearably cute.

[Do you not trust this humble servant?]

’Absolutely not,’ Simon thought, his guard still up.

[Ohoho! I have my boundaries, you know? I’ll protect your virtue until you turn twenty, so don’t you worry.]

To an Ancient Undead, three years was nothing. She had decided to wait, knowing there was a certain charm to Simon’s current age that she wanted to savor.

"...Then what happens after I turn twenty?"

Erzebet licked her lips like a beast eyeing its prey.

[Are you curious?]

Simon quickly shook his head, deciding it was better for his mental health not to know. Still, bestowing ’rewards’ was part of a Legion Commander’s duty. He stiffly approached and laid his head on her lap. The angle was awkward when he looked up, so he curled onto his side.

[You’ll be sleeping here for tonight!]

[Hey! Me too! I want to play with Simon, too!] Prince interjected, lying down beside Simon and starting their new, complicated handshake.

Simon let out a hollow laugh. This felt less like commanding Ancient Undead and more like babysitting whiny children.

[Those two are the same as ever,] Akemus remarked.

He and Pier, the more dignified of the group, were discussing legion matters.

[The legion needs aerial forces, and quickly, Akemus!] Pier insisted.

[I will build a nest as soon as my body recovers, my old comrade,] Akemus replied with a nod.

Simon looked over.

"A nest? What’s that?"

[It is an undead biological structure that mass-produces Skullwings, Young Master. I can create it from parts of my own body.]

Simon’s eyes widened with excitement.

"It can really mass-produce—!"

A pouting Erzebet pinched his cheek.

[You’re starting to resemble Pier, Lord Commander. Don’t let your eyes wander.]

[Hey! Simon! Focus on the game!]

It really was like taking care of children. With weary eyes, Simon slapped his palm against Prince’s. It looked like he’d be doing this until dawn. ’Ah, come to think of it.’ As his hand moved in a trance, a thought surfaced.

’That 30,000 gold I received. I need to spend it soon.’

What could be more enjoyable than planning how to spend money? Simon began to formulate a grand plan to execute as soon as he returned to Kizen.